Electrical socket



Oct. 9, 1962 R. T. CUTLER ELECTRICAL SOCKET Filed Dec. 1, 1958 INVENTOR.

ROBERT T. CUTLER ATTORNEYS United States Patent Ofiice 3,058,084 Patented Oct. 9-, 1962 3,058,084 ELECTRICAL SOCKET Robert T. Cutler, 2024 N. 22nd St., Philadelphia 21, Pa. Filed Dec. 1, 1958, Ser. No. 777,308 8 Claims. (Cl. 339-50) This invention relates to an electrical socket, and it particularly relates to an electrical socket for cold cathode fluorescent lamps.

Heretofore, sockets of this type were generally of a hollow cylindrical shape which could not be mounted directly on a support but required the use of additional mounting equipment. It was also necessary to splice the lead wires to the contacts within the socket, requiring a certain amount of skill to effectively perform this operation within the limited confines of the socket. In addition, such prior sockets usually included an insulating sleeve for supporting the contacts and lamp retainer elements and for guiding the lamp plug in the socket. This reduced the internal area of the socket to a minimum, preventing any effective ventilation when the lamp was connected to the socket. This lack of ventilating space resulted in an excessive amount of corrosion.

It is one object of the present invention to overcome the above, as well as other difficulties of the prior types of cold cathode sockets, by providing a socket which is so constructed that it can be easily mounted on any fiat surface, which provides for a simple connection between the lead wires and the contacts whereby anyone can connect the wires to the contacts without any special skill or any special tools, and which provides a maximum of interior space within the socket.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a socket of the aforesaid type which is simple, yet sturdy, in construction and which is relatively easy and economical to manufacture.

Other objects and many of the attendant advantages of this invention will be readily appreciated as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a socket embodying the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an end view taken on line 2-2 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an end view taken on line 3-3 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is an end view similar to FIG. 3, but with the cover cap removed.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken on line 5-5 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 6 is an end view, similar to FIG. 3, of an alternative form of the invention.

Referring now in greater detail to the various figures of the drawing wherein similar reference characters refer to similar parts, there is shown a socket, generally designated 10, comprising a molded housing 12 of generally hollow cylindrical shape. The housing is preferably constructed of a phenolic resin or similar material of the type well known in the art.

The housing 12 is integral with a supporting bracket 14 comprising a post 16, having a recessed center 18 on the front face thereof, and a lateral flange 20 extendng out from each side thereof. Between the flanges 20, the post 16 is slightly undercut to form a transverse recess 22.

The bottoms of the flanges 20, extending slightly below the recess 22 serve as spacing feet. In addition, each fiange 20 is provided with an elongated slot 24 extending from the rear edge thereof. The slots serve to accommodate screws, bolts, rivets or any other desired type of securing means for attaching the socket to a support.

At its rear end, the housing 12 is closed by an integral wall 26. On the outer surface of this wall 26 there is 7 provided a central boss 28 of generally triangular shape.

This boss 28 has a bore 30 extending almost but not quite therethrough and is also provided with three pairs of radially-extending ribs 32; the ribs of each pair being in spaced, parallel relationship with each other.

Each of the ribs 32 of each pair is provided with a notch 34- on its inner edge adjacent its outer end, and in these notches is disposed a plate 36 which extends transversely across the space between the ribs of the pair.

The plates 36 are each provided with an internally threaded bearing 38 adapted to receive a screw 40. In this manner, the plates 36 serve as binding posts to which may be connected the lead lines 42 (as shown in FIG. 5).

The plates 36 are each integral with a flexible contact finger 44 which extends through a corresponding hole 46 in the rear wall 26 of the housing. These fingers 44 are circumferentially spaced from each other within the interior of the housing 12 (as best seen in FIG. 2). In alternating relationship with the fingers in this circumferential arrangement are three ribs 48 extending from the rear wall 26 to a point short of the front end of the housing (as best seen in FIG. 5).

For the purpose of enclosing the exposed binding-post portion of the device in order to protect the wire connections as well as to provide a finished appearance to the socket, there is provided a cap 50 having an end wall and a peripheral skirt portion. This cap 50 is preferably constructed of the same material as the housing 12 and is provided with a centrally positioned, hollow boss 52. The boss 52 is centrally apertured to permit the insertion of a self-tapping screw '54 which retains the cap in place. This cap is also provided with a pair of integral, axiallyextending, tubular sleeves 56 through which the lead lines 42 are adapted to be guided toward their respective binding posts.

In the operation of the above-described device, the plug end of the lamp is inserted into the open front end of the socket, being guided into position by the ribs 4 8. When in position within the socket, the lamp plug is engaged by the spring fingers 44 which not only act as electrical contacts but also act as spring retainer means. In this respect, it should be noted that only two of the fingers 44 serve as contacts as well as spring retainers while the third serves only as a retainer. Consequently it is not necessary that the third finger have a binding-post type of plate 36. However, it is economically more feasible to use the same type finger for all three locations than to make a different type finger for the third location. Nevertheless, if desired, another type finger may be substituted.

With the lamp plug positioned in the socket, it is held in position by the ribs 48 and spring fingers 44. However, the ribs and fingers occupy only a minor portion of the space within the socket. Consequently, there is an effective circulation of air around the lamp plug.

in FIG. 6 there is shown a socket device which is substantially identical to that illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 5 except that this socket 100 is of the type having only one lead line which is connected to a ballast.

In this case, the socket 100 also includes a cylindrical housing 102 integral with a supporting bracket 104 identical with bracket '14. The rear wall of the housing is identical with that of the above-described device and includes the same structure as is shown in FIG. 4. However, the cap 106 is provided with only one tubular sleeve 108 instead of the two shown in the first device.

The socket shown in FIG. 6 is used in the same manner as the first-described socket except that only one of the spring fingers serves as both an electrical contact and a retaining means while the other two serve only as retaining means.

Obviously many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in the light of the above teachings. It is, therefore, to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.

What is claimed as the invention:

1. A socket for cold cathode fluorescent lamps comprising a generally cylindrical, hollow housing having one open end and one substantially closed end, a mounting bracket integrally connected to said housing, a plurality of spring fingers Within said housing, at least one of said fingers extending through an opening in said closed end and having a binding post on its exposed end externally of said housing, a plurality of longitudinal ribs Within said housing in alternative arrangement with said spring fingers, said ribs and spring fingers being arranged in circumferentially spaced relation to each other with the ribs alternating with the fingers, the fingers extending radially inward beyond the ribs, whereby said ribs provide guide means for the plug end of a fluorescent lamp, and also allow air to freely flow through the housing, and a detachable cap enclosing said binding post, said cap having at least one tubular guide sleeve extending axially of said housing and opening through said cap in alignment with the binding post.

2. The socket of claim 1 wherein there is one guide sleeve on said cap.

3. The socket of claim 1 wherein there are two guide sleeves on said cap.

4. The socket of claim 1 wherein said binding post is positioned within a protective pocket formed by radially extending ribs on the outer surface of the wall forming said closed end of the housing.

5. A socket for cold cathode fluorescent lamps comprising a substantially cylindrical, hollow housing having an open end and a rear wall forming a substantially closed end, a plurality of radially-extending, circumferentiallyspaced pockets on the exterior surface of said rear wall, a binding post in each of said pockets, at flexible contact finger connected to each of said binding posts and extend ing through corresponding openings in said rear wall into the interior of said housing, said fingers being circumferentially spaced from each other within said housing, and a plurality of longitudinal ribs on the inner surface of said housing, said longitudinal ribs being disposed in al- 3 ternate, spaced relationship between said fingers, whereby said ribs provide guide means for the plug end of a fluorescent lamp, and also allow air to freely flow through the housing.

6. The socket of claim 5 wherein each of said pockets is defined by a pair of radially-extending, spaced, parallel ribs on the exterior surface of said rear Wall.

7. The socket of claim 6 wherein said radially-extending ribs are integral with a central boss connected to said rear wall.

8. The socket of claim 5 wherein a separable cap is connected to said housing in encompassing relation to said pockets and binding posts, said cap being provided with at least one tubular guide sleeve mating with a corresponding aperture in said cap, said aperture being in alignment with a respective binding post.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,825,319 Kayatt Sept. 29, 1931 1,942,724 Nelson Jan. 9, 1934 2,071,699 Martin Feb. 23, 1937 2,220,810 Bright Nov. 5, 1940 2,543,577 Hugenholtz et al. Feb. 27, 1951 2,699,534 Klosterman Jan. 11, 1955 2,716,740 Parish Aug. 30, 1955 2,809,359 Slick Oct. 8, 1957 

